எத்தனை • இத்தனை • அத்தனை

WORD 01எத்தனை → How many?

Meaning: how many?

There is no major difference between the written and spoken forms. எத்தனை is used when asking about the number or quantity of countable things.

Example

Written: உங்களுக்கு எத்தனை புத்தகங்கள் வேண்டும்?
Ungalukku eththanai puththagangal vēndum?
How many books do you want?

Spoken: உங்களுக்கு எத்தனை புக்கு வேணும்?
Ungalukku eththanai book-u vēṇum?
How many books do you want?

What changed?

எத்தனை → எத்தனை
No change.

வேண்டும் → வேணும்
The everyday spoken form is shorter.

In casual conversation, English loanwords such as புக்கு (book-u) are also common, though standard written Tamil would prefer புத்தகம்.

Another everyday example

எத்தனை பேரு வர்றாங்க?
Eththanai pēru varrānga?
How many people are coming?

Here பேர் / பேரு is extremely useful when counting people.

WORD 02இத்தனை → This many / this much / so many

Meaning: this many / this much / so many

இத்தனை points toward a quantity that is connected with this situation or something close to the speaker.

Imagine looking at a huge pile of clothes someone has brought into the room.

Spoken: இத்தனை துணி எதுக்கு?
Iththanai thuṇi edhukku?
Why this many clothes? / Why so many clothes?

Written version

Written: இத்தனை துணிகள் எதற்கு?
Iththanai thuṇigaḷ edhaṟku?
Why this many clothes?

What changed?

இத்தனை → இத்தனை
No important change.

துணிகள் → துணி
Conversational Tamil can rely more heavily on context instead of explicitly marking the plural here.

எதற்கு → எதுக்கு
“for what?/why?” becomes much shorter in everyday speech.

So எதற்கு? (edhaṟku?) becomes எதுக்கு? (edhukku?).

WORD 03அத்தனை → That many / that much / so many

Meaning: that many / that much / so many

அத்தனை refers to a quantity as that much / that many.

Someone tells you that twenty people are coming to dinner. You're surprised:

அத்தனை பேரா வர்றாங்க?
Aththanai pērā varrānga?
That many people are coming?!

The -ஆ? (-ā?) turns the expression into a surprised question:

அத்தனை பேர்
that many people
→ அத்தனை பேரா?
That many people?!

This is very natural conversational Tamil.

The pattern

The easiest way to remember these words is through their first vowel:

எ — Question

எத்தனை?
Eththanai?
How many?

இ — This

இத்தனை
Iththanai
This many / this much

அ — That

அத்தனை
Aththanai
That many / that much

So remember:
எத்தனை? → இத்தனை → அத்தனை
How many? → This many → That many

A real conversation

Imagine two friends preparing snacks for a party.

A: எத்தனை பேரு வர்றாங்க?
Eththanai pēru varrānga?
How many people are coming?

B: பத்து பேரு.
Paththu pēru.
Ten people.

A: அத்தனை பேரா?
Aththanai pērā?
That many people?!

B: ஆமா.
Āmā.
Yes.

A: அப்போ இத்தனை சாப்பாடு போதுமா?
Appō iththanai sāppādu pōdhumā?
Then, will this much food be enough?

B: போதும்.
Pōdhum.
It’ll be enough.

Notice the spoken Tamil

Compare these:

Written: எத்தனை பேர் வருகிறார்கள்?
Eththanai pēr varugiṟārgaḷ?
How many people are coming?

Spoken: எத்தனை பேரு வர்றாங்க?
Eththanai pēru varrānga?
How many people are coming?

The important spoken changes are:

பேர் → பேரு
pēr → pēru

வருகிறார்கள் → வர்றாங்க
varugiṟārgaḷ → varrānga

But: எத்தனை → எத்தனை
The word we're learning stays the same.

எத்தனை vs எவ்வளவு

Don't confuse these two.

எத்தனை? (eththanai) usually asks how many?

எத்தனை பேரு?
Eththanai pēru?
How many people?

எத்தனை நாள்?
Eththanai nāḷ?
How many days?

எத்தனை கிலோ?
Eththanai kilo?
How many kilos?

எவ்வளவு? (evvaḷavu) asks how much? / what amount? and is also very commonly used for price.

இது எவ்வளவு?
Idhu evvaḷavu?
How much is this?

So a useful beginner shortcut is:
எத்தனை? — How many?
எவ்வளவு? — How much?

Remember